Note 1968 — [The Bataile of Brampton, or Floddon fielde, faught in the yeare of our Redeemer 1513, and in the fiuth yeare of the raygne of that victorious prince, King Henry the eyght.
Reading edition
Although the name of Churchyard was affixed to the legend of Jane Shore in common with the other authors in the edition of 1571, it is certain that his title to that production was often questioned, (unless it may be believed that the doubt was started to assist in obtaining notoriety,) from the many laboured assertions made in various places in support of his title, and it is to that circumstance the above passage alludes.
Jane Shore did not die until about 1527, and her popularity long survived her: the events of her life were then almost recent and well known from the interesting character drawn other by Sir T. More, which will be found in a future note, and must have given celebrity to this poem beyond many other of the same poet’s productions. After a lapse of thirty years from its first appearance, Churchyard reprinted “the tragedie of Shore’s Wife, much augmented with divers newe additions,” with other pieces in his Challenge, 1593, and in a dedication strenuously defended himself against those who had attempted to wrest from him this portion of his literary honours. This fact was first pointed out by that accurate and diligent researcher into the productions of the elder poets, Mr. Park, in the Censura Literaria, Vol. II. p. 309, (where the whole legend had been previously inserted) and from that source with the advantage and kindness of a further collation of the additions with the original by Mr. Park, those additions are now inserted in their respective places in the body of the work. They consist of 21 stanzas, viz. from 11 to 14-29 to 31-34 to 36-52 to 60-68 and 74, and are distinguished with asterisks. To complete the additions there is now given the author’s dedication.
“To the right honorable the Lady Mount-Eagle and Compton, wife to the right honourable the Lord of Buckhurst’s son and heire.
“Good Madame. For that the vertuous and good ladie Carie, your sister, honourablie accepted a discourse of my penning, I beleeved your ladiship would not refuse the like offer, humbly presented and dutifully ment, I bethought me of a tragedie that long laye printed and many speake well of: but some doubting the shallownesse of my heade, (or of meere mallice disdaineth my doings) denies me the fathering of such a worke, that hath won so much credit: but as sure as God lives, they that so defames me, or doth disable me in this cause, doth me such an open wrong, as I would be glad to right with the best blood in my body, so he be mine equall that moved such a quarrell: but mine old yeares doth utterly forbid me such a combat, and to contend with the malicious, I thinke it a madnesse; yet I protest before God and the world, the penning of Shore’s Wife was mine; desiring in my hart that all the plagues in the worlde maie possesse me, if anie holpe me, either with scrowle or councell, to the publishing of the invencion of the same Shore’s Wife: and to show that yet my spirits faile me not in as great matters as that, I have augmented her tragedie, I hope in as fine a forme as the first impression thereof, and hath sette forth some more tragedies and tragicall discourses, no whit inferiour, as I trust, to my first worke. And, good madame, because “Rosimond” is so excellently sette forth (the actor[1969] whereof I honour) I have somewhat beautified my Shore’s Wife, not in any kind of emulation, but to make the world knowe my device in age is as ripe and reddie as my disposition and knowledge was in youth, so having chosen a noble personage to be a patrones to support poore Shore’s Wife’s tragedie againe I commend all the verses of her, olde and newe to your good ladiship’s judgment, hoping you shall lose no honour in the supportation of the same because the true writer thereof, with all humblenesse of mind and service, presents the tragedie unto your honourable censure, wishing long life and increase of vertue’s fame to make your ladiship’s day happie.
T. Churchyard.”